mis-using

Main Entry:
misuse [n. mis-yoos; v. mis-yooz]
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: abuse; apply wrongly
Synonyms: blow*, brutalize, corrupt, cut up, desecrate, dissipate, exploit, go through, handle roughly, ill-treat, maltreat, maul, mess up*, misapply, misemploy, mistreat, molest, outrage, pervert, profane, prostitute, run through, shake up, squander, waste, wrong
Notes: abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm
to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it
Antonyms: use correctly
Main Entry: abuse
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: use wrongly
Synonyms: dissipate, exhaust, misemploy, mishandle, misuse, overburden, overtax, overwork, prostitute, spoil, squander, taint, waste
Notes: abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm
to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it
Antonyms: benefit, care for, esteem, prize, respect, revere
Main Entry: corrupt
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: pervert; pollute
Synonyms: abase, abuse, adulterate, animalize, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, grease palm, harm, hurt, ill-treat, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste
Antonyms: better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify
Main Entry: dissipate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: expend, spend
Synonyms: be wasteful with, blow*, burn up, consume, deplete, dump*, fritter away, indulge oneself, kiss goodbye, lavish, misspend, misuse, run through, squander, throw away, trifle away, use up, waste
Antonyms: accumulate, collect, gather, hoard, save
Main Entry: embezzle
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: steal money, often from employer
Synonyms: abstract, appropriate, defalcate, filch, forge, loot, misapply, misappropriate, misuse, peculate, pilfer, purloin, put hand in cookie jar, put hand in till, skim, thieve
Antonyms: compensate, give, pay, reimburse, return
Main Entry: harm
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: injure; cause evil
Synonyms: abuse, blemish, bruise, cripple, crush, damage, dilapidate, discommode, disserve, do violence to, dump on, get, hurt, ill-treat, impair, incommode, inconvenience, louse up, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mess up*, misuse, molest, muck up, mutilate, nick, outrage, prejudice, put down, ruin, sabotage, sap*, scathe, shatter, shock, spoil, stab, tarnish, total, trample, traumatize, tweak*, undermine, vandalize, vitiate, wing*, wound, wreck, wrench, wrong, zing
Antonyms: aid, assist, benefit, care, fix, help, improve, mend
Main Entry: misappropriate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: use wrongly; steal
Synonyms: abuse, appropriate, defalcate, embezzle, misapply, misspend, misuse, peculate, plunder, pocket, rob, swindle
Antonyms: appropriate, use wisely
Main Entry: mishandle/mismanage
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: mess up
Synonyms: abuse, be incompetent, be inefficient, blow, blunder, botch, bungle, confound, err, flub, foul up, fumble, goof up, goof, gum up, harm, make a hash of, make a mess of, maladminister, misapply, misconduct, misdirect, misemploy, misgovern, mistreat, misuse, muff, overlook, pervert, prostitute, put foot in, screw up, shoot oneself in foot
Antonyms: handle, manage
Main Entry: mistreat
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: treat badly or wrongly
Synonyms: abuse, backbite, bash, brutalize, bung up, chop, do wrong, dump on, give black eye, handle roughly, harm, injure, kick around, knock around, maltreat, maul, mess up, misuse, molest, outrage, push around, rip, rough up, roughhouse, shake up, total*, trash*, wax, wound, wrong
Antonyms: coddle, favor, pamper, pet, please, satisfy, treat well
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